Online transactions frequently require a user to enter information using a keyboard or a keyboard-like device (hereinafter collectively referred to as “a keyboard”). An “online transaction” is any communication between an electronic communication location, for example, a website and a user or consumer. The communication can take a variety of forms, e.g., the entry by the consumer of information in a website's survey; an agreement to buy merchandise; a contest, sending a message via e-mail, etc. that is executed in whole or in part via a keyboard and electronically. A more specific example of an online transaction is an agreement to pay in exchange for the shipment of a product, i.e., a consumer's purchase. As used herein, a “product” can be goods and/or services. Another specific example of an online transaction is the completion of an online survey, e.g., the completion of a form provided through a web site over the Internet. The survey may be desired by the web site owner for a variety of reasons, e.g., marketing analysis, generation of a mailing list, effectiveness of marketing/advertising, etc. Sometimes, these surveys offer “rewards” or prizes to one, some or all of the entrants. Yet another example of an online transaction is the entry of personal profile information by a user using an interface device, like a keyboard, provided by a web site over the Internet. A keyboard can include any device used to enter alphanumeric information by a user.
Online transactions include the entry of information through an online form. The form can have certain fields that the user is required to complete. Examples of fields are a name field; an address field; a credit card number field; a credit card expiration date field; etc. When a user enters a survey, a contest, or is registered for a purchase by completing a form, the user may be presumed by a vendor or other online authority to be a legitimate party with which to engage in an online transaction.
A legitimate user engaged in an honest online transaction typically enters information into the required fields by pressing keys at varying locations on the keyboard that correspond to letters and/or numbers corresponding to the user's true name, address, telephone number, credit card number, etc. As used herein, a “keystroke” is a character produced by activating (e.g., depressing) a key of the keyboard. For example, the keystroke “a” results from pressing the “a” key on a keyboard in lowercase mode, while the keystroke “A” results from pressing the “a” key on a keyboard in the uppercase mode (ordinarily achieved by simultaneously depressing the “Shift” key and the “a” key of the keyboard). The “location of a keystroke” is the location of the key that is depressed or activated to generate the keystroke. For example, the location of the keystroke “a” corresponds to the location of the “a” key on a standard keyboard, which is typically next to the “s” key and under the “q” key on a standard QWERTY keyboard. Of course, the present invention can be adopted for other keyboard configurations. Likewise, the distance between keystrokes is deemed to be the shortest distance in keys, whether, vertical, horizontal or diagonal, between the keys that are depressed or activated to produce the keystrokes. This can be measured in any suitable fashion, such as the actual number of intervening spaces between keys or the actual linear distance in millimeters between keys, etc. For example, on a QWERTY keyboard, the distance between the “a” and “s” keystrokes is deemed 1 as there is a single intervening space between those keys. Thus, the distance between the “a” and the “d” keystrokes is deemed, for the purpose of the present invention, 2 keys, since there are two intervening key spaces between those individual keys, etc. The distance between an “f” and a “t” or between an “h” and a “t” is deemed 1, again, because there is one space between those keys of the standard QWERTY keyboard. Alternatively, the linear distance between the “a” and the “s” keystrokes on a QWERTY keyboard is about 2 centimeters; the distance between the “a” and the “d” keystrokes is about 4 centimeters (two spaces); etc. Of course, these concepts can apply to any keyboard, not just a QWERTY keyboard. For example, a cell phone has a keyboard, denominated a keypad with keys that correspond to numbers and letters. On a cell phone keypad, the keystrokes “a”, “b” and “c” all correspond to the “2” key, so the distance between those keystrokes is deemed zero. The distance between the “a” and “t” keystrokes can be 2 keys since the number of spaces between those two keys on a keypad numbers 2 or in linear dimension, about 0.8 centimeters (0.4 centimeters per space), etc.
A fraudulent user engaged in a dishonest online transaction is typically interested in filling in the fields required on an online form as quickly as possible. This allows access to information, provides for a fraudulent purchase, or multiple (and thus contrary to the rules) entries into a contest. Since the fraudulent user is not concerned with the accuracy of the information entered into the fields, the keystrokes need not be at substantially different locations on the keyboard.